Rockbridge County Chooses Verity Voting by Hart InterCivic

LEXINGTON, Va., Aug. 30, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Momentum for replacing aging voting equipment is sweeping across Virginia, and Rockbridge County is the latest to choose the efficient technology of the Verity® Voting system by Hart InterCivic. The decision makes Rockbridge Hart's 11th Verity partner in the Commonwealth of Virginia and brings the overall total number of Virginia counties using Hart voting technology to 14.

The ease of ballot box setup and delivery to the precincts is an important feature for Marilyn Earhart, General Registrar and Director of Elections for Rockbridge. "Our precinct chiefs can set up the collapsible ballot box, and there are no extra delivery trips or costs."

Earhart will start training election workers in September, and Rockbridge will use Verity for the November Presidential General Election. She is very confident that the election will go smoothly.

"I am excited that this system is so voter-friendly," she said. "I expect the process to be much simpler for the public. I'm comfortable and eager for feedback."

She is also looking forward to using features designed to improve accessibility for voters with disabilities and also to an easier approach to absentee ballots. With Verity, Rockbridge will send absentee voters a standard ballot through the mail, replacing the previous data card system.

Flexible and forward-looking, Verity has been the first choice for many election officials responding to new state regulations. Virginia lawmakers directed localities to choose paper ballot systems as they replace aging equipment. Hart's Verity, certified both federally and by Virginia's State Board of Elections, matches county needs.

For Rockbridge, learning from nearby Campbell County has been a bonus, Earhart said. Both counties chose Verity to replace the same older equipment, and Campbell has already voted successfully on Verity. "We've heard good feedback and gotten some good tips from their experience," she said.

Other counties choosing Verity for their future elections include: Amherst, Campbell, Essex, Henry, King and Queen, Northumberland, Prince William, Richmond and Westmoreland, plus the City of Charlottesville. The purchases build on more than a decade of professional election partnerships between Hart and Virginia localities.

"Hart has been a trusted election partner in Virginia since 2001, and Verity is designed to meet Virginia's needs," said Phillip Braithwaite, President and CEO of Hart InterCivic. "We understand the local perspective, and our collaboration with existing users helped us tailor the Verity solution for Virginia."

Verity's paper ballot technology has set new standards for ease of use and trust. The only second-generation digital election solution on the market, it was designed from the ground up as a software suite that integrates with a thoughtful combination of American-assembled, purpose-built hardware and enterprise-grade, commercial off-the-shelf components.

Rockbridge County chose the Verity Scan digital scanning device, allowing voters to scan their paper ballots in the polling place, and the Verity Touch Writerballot marking device for voters with disabilities. The two devices share the same secure, compact hardware platform as well as a user-friendly interface.

"We welcome Rockbridge County to the Verity family," said Braithwaite. "Our goal is to bring easy-to-use election tools with built-in longevity to every county in the region."

Austin-based Hart InterCivic is a full service election solutions innovator, partnering with state and local governments to deliver secure, accurate and reliable elections. Working side-by-side with election professionals for more than 100 years, Hart is committed to helping advance democracy one election at a time. The Hart mission fuels passionate customer focus and a continuous drive for technological innovation. The company's new Verity Voting systemmakes voting more straightforward, equitable and accessible—and makes managing elections more transparent, more efficient and easier.